Freaky

This review may contain spoilers!

 

This is a very fun blend of the intense gore that comes from a slasher film and the camp comedy that body swap features tend to excel at. I would give Freaky a 6.5/10.

 

Freaky is your classic slasher film; quiet, reserved teenage girl is stalked and attacked by the local serial killer. The catch? A mystical blade wielded by the unsuspecting murderer leads to the victim and killer switching bodies come the following morning. Now there is a race against time for Millie to get her body back before the exchange becomes permanent. What I enjoyed so much about this film was that it knew exactly how to balance out its concept. Freaky opens with a classic teenage party slowly being turned to a slaughter as the audience becomes introduced to the killer, there are a number of homages already to beloved slasher films just in these few minutes alone. As the film goes along these moments of intense violence become far more tense once the killer has assumed Millie's form; the antagonist is suddenly far more vulnerable and has to get rather desperate and creative to enact his grisly goals. The light tone of the body swap really fits the high school characters the film generates, a collection of very vibrant personalities who tend to be quite easy to read. Seeing Millie bumble her way through being a large, strong middle-aged man is really funny and once she inevitably blends with her friends it only improves. I found the way the film really leaned into Millie being concerned about her own personal problems and relationship drama while being trapped in the killer's body quite a light campy element that set this feature apart. The cinematography for the film has a number of really unique shots that highlight the features variety of set pieces or supernatural circumstances; in particular the ability to craft a visual style that blends looks from two distinct genres is impressive. The score for Freaky is a nice heightened piece of tension-building music, with a soundtrack that is utilised for maximum comedic effect.

 

Kathryn Newton, who played Millie/ the Blissfield Butcher, was really charming as the meek yet good-natured protagonist; I felt like Newton really showed incredible ability by switching to this vulgar and intense persona after the body switch twist. Misha Osherovich, who played Josh, is one of the scene-stealing performances in the film I thought; Osherovich has a fast hitting dialogue delivery that is seriously funny and livens up the film. Dana Drori, who played Char, is a gruff personality who acts as the stoic guardian of very dysfunctional family; Drori plays to the hardened, serious cop role exceptionally well.

However, the best performance came from Vince Vaughn, who played the Blissfield Butcher/Millie. I was impressed initially with Vaughn as this stoic, hulking killer who had this ease of moving through a set with an intimidating presence. But then after the body swap Vaughn easily reminded us all of his incredible comedic ability to inhabit some very unique roles. Watching this performer lean into being a stressed out teen with a limited ability to deal with the bizarre events that have just transpired is a lot of fun to watch. You get to see Vaughn play to the character laughing and having fun with her firends, crushing on boys and poignantly reflecting on the loss of her father. I liked that Vaughn's approach to this was to honestly play to the character, bringing out some of the better comedic moments by bringing a Millie that was very nearly identical to Newton's. By the end of the feature we get to see Vaughn again as the killer and the way his aggression has become so personal and targeted after the events of the film mark him as a truly scary antagonist to watch.

I never really stopped having fun with this film, often because I felt the film knew it didn't have to take itself too seriously. This film doesn't have much going for it in terms of plot outside of the big genre twist concept. The main family mourn the loss of a father/husband that has created this severe emotional effect upon them all, yet at the same time we have this awkward flirting scene between the mother and body-swapped daughter character for the sake of a joke. Often the film moves away from where it needs to go to where it wants to go, crafting jokes out of the body swap scenario that are so absurd and unlikely to work that it never really feels like it has earned its place. The fact that Freaky is littered with a number of familiar body swap gags or elements makes this a fun movie to watch but does inevitably lower the quality of the overall storytelling. I also found that the dialogue was terrible, with a number of lines that felt corny or like a forced one-liner. The editing for the film set quite a dull pace at times but then struggled to keep up in some of the action sequences with some very discordant cuts.

Katie Finneran, who played Paula Kessler, really gave a hammed up performance in this film; the way she goes a little over the top with her scene with Vaughn makes it one of the more uncomfortable scenes to watch. Uriah Shelton, who played Booker, bungles his way through the main romantic lead; he just struggles with the body swap genre elements and treated scenes that he shared with Vaughn like an amateur. Melissa Collazo, who played Ryler, gives quite a generic school bully performance; I felt Collazo could have potential but she never shied away from sticking to the bully role that we've seen countless times before. Celeste O'Connor, who played Nyla, is rather forgettable as the friend role; O'Connor unfortunately often finds herself the third main performer in scenes stacked with the features best talent.

Saint Judy

This review may contain spoilers!

 

This film is an inspired true story with a cast that really lifts this feature up into something worthy to watch. I would give Saint Judy a 7.5/10.

 

Saint Judy is a biopic about Judy Wood, a famous immigration lawyer who championed for reform in the American laws of asylum in defense of women. I found this to be really engaging because of the lead character, Judy Wood, and the struggle she and her client went through in order to achieve an asylum verdict within the US court system. From the moment we are introduced to Judy she becomes a figure who seeks out the best in others and fights for that quality, doing good no matter what the odds against may be. She has this ability to not give up on a case, to never quit no matter what needs to be sacrificed, which the film weighs up both in a positive and negative light. The feature shows an incredible insightful, if not idealised version of what the US immigration system can look like and how some migrants are severely impacted by both the system and the history of the country they have fled. The focal point of the film highlights the story of a woman who attempted to empower women in her village through a demonstration, but was attacked, arrested and abused for her efforts. The struggle of getting the US legal system to recognise this woman as a political victim seeking asylum and not merely a woman seeking asylum is such a gripping point of tension that I found myself hooked almost constantly. The cinematography for Saint Judy had this subtle and stylistic way of framing that I thought spoke highly of the director's style; there were these awe-inspiring shots of framing Judy throughout the I.C.E. detention city or in her own offices that was incredibly powerful.

 

Michelle Monaghan, who played Judy Wood, is an amazing protagonist for this feature; Monaghan has this compelling strength and delivery that makes her ability to fight through persuasion very convincing. Leem Lubany, who played Asefa, plays a complex character who has to endure a number of harrowing events throughout the feature; I think Lubany presented a role who was able to rebuild herself and find her strength remarkably well. Common, who played Benjamin Adebayo, has this restrained and respectful approach to being a Government-migration lawyer that I found really sincere; Common's ability to present a strong delivery around the meaning of how I.C.E. has changed over the years was an impactful scene. Alfre Woodard, who played Judge Benton, presents such a measured, neutral judge figure brilliantly; I admire how Woodard crafted a role who could talk to both sides of a debate with respect and intelligence. Mykelti Williamson, who played Dikembe Mustafa, was a role that had a tendency towards stealing the show a bit; Williamson had this stoic approach towards Monaghan at first which grew and changed into kind-hearted friendship as the film went along. Kevin Chapman, who played Officer King, was a stern overbearing figure that came across as a figure of duty and an antagonist at times; Chapman had this sort of callous indifference towards those he detained that shone a light on an aspect of I.C.E. worth highlighting.

 

However, the best performance came from Alfred Molina, who played Ray Hernandez. This grizzled legal veteran is quite a gripping character when we first meet him and he really throws us (and the protagonist) into the harsh, indifferent world of immigration law. Molina embodies a legal practitioner who is renowned for his practice and his ability to perform, but he has become completely detached from the needs of his clients. This is a figure who once fought for something but has buckled under financial pressure and the need to provide for his family to become someone who has lot their interest and so clashes with Judy (Monaghan) on a regular basis. Watching Molina steadily pull his role back by finding inspiration in the journey of Judy Wood, eventually supporting her and doing better legal work himself is a nice well-rounded touch that I appreciated. 

Saint Judy is this fantastic story with a great struggle and interesting lead role at its heart, but there are a number of moments in which the writer seems at odds with matching up to what they are writing. There's a lot of dialogue moments in which the moral is roughly pushed in rather than subtly inserted, more than that the film tends to have this light delivery that always posits the idea everything will turn out for the best. Judy Wood is at times held up to be like a white messiah surrounded by immigrants who rely and depend on her more than anything; in one scene Wood is depicted as dreaming of herself walking past corridor after corridor of barred migrants who are pleading her to help them. There is a sense that Judy truly can do no wrong and lifts these people up simply by championing for them. The film isn't always like this, but when the film doesn't know how to approach certain complex scenes this is the path it takes instead of examining events with some scrutiny. The editing for the feature can either set a slow pace or chops up scenes in a very awkward way, often disrupting the flow of a nice camera angle to swiftly cut away to an alternate option. The soundtrack for the film feels confusing at the best of times with old tracks that kill the tone or a sudden blend of modern pop and hip hop which sets a confusing contrast.

Ben Schnetzer, who played Parker, leaned a little too strongly into his character's traits of being a rich kid cruising off his rich father's lifestyle for my liking; Schnetzer always came across as quite an indifferent role who never really learned or grew as the feature went along. Gabriel Bateman, who played Alex Wood, is quite a generic take of a kid living through a divorce in a film; the warm connection with central parent figure turning bad and then turning good again in the final act was a bit obvious for my taste. Waleed Zuaiter, who played Omar, was quite a muted role who existed to prop up the story of Asefa; however, because Lubany did such a strong job it felt like Zuaiter was this unnecessary link in that narrative. Peter Krause, who played Matthew, was the completely severe ex who entered the film far too late; Krause presented a figure who seemed nothing but hostile in terms of his role's personality and then had a complete 180 by the final scene for absolutely no reason.

The Witches

This review may contain spoilers!

 

This might just be the worst Roald Dahl film adaptation yet. I would give The Witches a 3/10.

 

The Witches is an adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel of the same name, in which a young boy and his grandmother accidentally become embroiled in a plot involving a High Witch and her coven. I think this film is at its most entertaining when it tries to push on the realms of fantasy and horror. Making the witches as abnormal as possible so that you become fascinated by how they look, move and act is a strong choice. I think there is an element to this film that is a little offsetting and scary, whether that be from the witches or the dangerous scenarios the protagonists find themselves within. The score for the feature has a very adventurous style to it that lends extreme amounts of energy to scenes, I felt like I was listening to a love letter to 90s family cinema scores.

 

The best performance came from Anne Hathaway, who played the Grand High Witch. I felt this was a role in which Hathaway had a lot of room to play but once she had found her style for the Witch, had to find a way to remain fixed with it. This was a wildly devious and sinister character with little to no remorse for the actions she took. I found that Hathaway readily embraced what made this role so inhuman, cutting to the darkest parts of the role and using human qualities to project this otherly nature of the character. I certainly felt the voice of the role and the wild delivery could go right to the edge sometimes, but nevertheless Hathaway remained consistent in delivering an antagonist that was menacing throughout.

 

This film never managed to really get underway, losing itself to a narration-heavy opening and a first act that didn't know how to get to the point. The first act is crammed with a long introduction of the main character, his grandmother, the historical setting and the tragic set of events that have brought them together. There are a number of scenes here that inch along at a snail's pace, sometimes achieving nothing at all and certainly not doing a great deal to make us feel for these characters. I was longing for the thrill of a family movie that promised a supernatural twist; sadly this didn't lend much help to the plot either. The witches were barely introduced before we were sent down a ten minute exposition and flashback explanation that actually made something so very fantastical sound utterly boring. The film eventually became a bit of a heroic adventure against the bad guys but it was quite simple; at times even more reminiscent of a narrative style that felt outdated. You never really felt like the heroes were in any real danger and often the good guys didn't have to work hard to get out of a moment of conflict. The feature was also seriously inconsistent about whether it wanted to present its information via narration or through characters who were present in the story; ultimately opting a messy blend of both. The cinematography was pointedly dull, often losing style in order to set up for a special effects shot. Meanwhile, the special effects didn't even have the good graces to be nice to look at; often the visuals were quite at odds with what was on-screen, especially the CGI animals.

 

Chris Rock, who voiced the Older Heroic Mouse, sounds like he's just straight up reading his lines into the mic at times; you're never sold on his character and Rock fails to make his copious interruptions to the story sound interesting. Jahzir Bruno, who played Hero Boy, was not a great protagonist for this film; Bruno deadpanned a lot of his lines and constantly struggled to portray a variety of complex emotions. Octavia Spencer, who played Grandma, had a lot of responsibility o carry a lot of this film both in terms of character and exposition; but this was a role Spencer couldn't quite muster to and ultimately she started even coming across as monotonous. Codie-Lei Eastick, who played Bruno Jenkins, was probably the most annoying actor in the film; as far as young performers went Eastick pulled out all of the bad tricks: delivering lines loudly and without emotional range. Stanley Tucci, who played Mr Stringer, was wasted in what might be the most boring character of his career; Tucci flounders in a role whose sole function seems to be the blandest talking character in any scene he's in. Kristin Chenoweth, who voiced Mary, feels at odds with the much younger voice cast she's paired with; Chenoweth has this really grating voice that doesn't fit and makes her role seem like an awkward addition to the main cast.

Baby Done

This review may contain spoilers!

Rose Matafeo powerhouses as the lead of this film but the feature itself just doesn't have enough going for it to hold your attention. I would give Baby Done a 4.5/10.

Baby Done follows young couple, Zoe and Tim, a pair of arborists who have often scoffed at their other young friends who have gotten married and had kids early in life. Now that Zoe has fallen pregnant she is hurtling through a crisis of achieving a number of her adventurous goals before the baby arrives, while Tim is slowly embracing the idea of being a father. This film thrives when it focuses on Zoe and her struggle with being an expecting mother, it's a very real conversation about how young women feel towards motherhood. I think seeing a character deal with the mental challenges of having their entire life altered by something they hadn't expected or aren't entirely ready for is such an engaging discussion that this film handles very well. The soundtrack for Baby Done is this really vibrant blend of tracks that place it as a convincing indie-comedy, I like the nice upswing tone with a scattering of music used very effectively for comedic effect.

 

Rachel House, who played the Principal, is such a memorable standout role in her scene; House has a very dour tone throughout yet manages to deadpan in some comedy and present a charismatic role that takes care of her onscreen students. Emily Barclay, who played Molly, is one of the comedic performers that I felt really stood out; Barclay plays the humour of her role with a lot of range and her chemistry with Matafeo as onscreen best friends is one of the best bonds in the film. Nic Sampson, who played Brian, is one of the more awkward performances to watch but his ability to commit to the role make this an impressive portrayal; Sampson has an easy-going charisma and a strong ability to cut right to the humour in whichever scene he's in. Madeleine Sami, who played the Birthing Nurse, has a very fun no-nonsense attitude that works well against Matafeo's stubborn immaturity; Sami just sparks some of the best line delivery of the film and stands out majorly in the final act.

However, the best performance came from Rose Matafeo, who played Zoe. Matafeo has really placed herself strongly as one of New Zealand's best current comedic performers and this film highlights that well. Zoe is a very boisterous, self-confident person in how she presents herself; she's sure in her work and fiercely competitive. I really enjoyed watching as Matafeo took that personality and contrasted it against the news of impending motherhood; seeing a character scrabble so completely to affirm herself after that bombshell news impacts her life. We get to see Zoe go through flat out denial, complete rejection of her situation and steadily distance herself from everyone around her. But watching Matafeo then build her character back up, basically pull together when she reaches that final moment makes this such a wonderful well-rounded performance.

While this film is amazing from a lead character perspective, the story struggles to hold attention and the comedic qualities fall short more than they succeed. The main couple of Zoe and Tim is a pretty turbulent one to watch in some regards but they really don't have much chemistry and seem more at odds with one another than in love with one another. The film constantly struggles to balance out whose perspective to present and it certainly fails to cast either protagonist in a redeemable light for long. In fact the flaw of this movie is that while Zoe's story arc is interesting well-written there is no denying that most of the characters act like terrible people. There's never a common line of empathy and it takes a long time for characters' conflict to actually reach resolution. The comedy is another major pitfall throughout, mainly because there Isn't a very consistent approach towards delivery. This film packages itself as a comedy quite strongly at first but then goes for several scenes without even attempting to generate some form of humour. Baby Done manages a few witty lines but has several performers that flounder in a comedic setting and a lot of cringe comedy that really makes this a difficult film to find entertainment in. The cinematography for the feature is amateur at best, many scenes boast basic framing and there's no sense of dynamic style to the piece. The editing set a slow, laborious pace that lengthened scenes long past what they needed to be.

 

Matthew Lewis, who played Tim, flounders as the other leading protagonist of the film; Lewis' lead comes across as a bit of a bully at times and he struggles to find his place in the feature. Fasitua Amosa and Loren Taylor, who played Sefa and Penny respectively, really just don't seem like particularly believable parents in this feature; Amosa deadpans his way through being a dad while Taylor tries too hard to match up to Matafeo in terms of a mother/daughter relationship. Olivia Tennet, who played Beth, is a rather peculiar role that I never really understood in this film; Tennet's way of eerily edging her role into the main narrative felt off and seemed like a weirdly constructed subplot. Matenga Ashby, who played Sonny, is very much torn between being the over the top comedic relief and the surrogate kid character throughout the film; Ashby seems very torn between the two roles and almost seems cast to play a character that is too young for him.

Honest Thief

This review may contain spoilers! 

 

This is the sort of slow paced thriller that will really get its hooks into you the more you watch. I would give Honest Thief a 7.5/10.

 

Honest Thief sees Tom, an infamous thief who has stolen over nine million dollars across twelve banks, turn a new leaf in his life and attempt to come clean by turning himself in upon meeting the newfound love of his life, Annie. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worse when a pair of corrupt federal agents attempt to steal the money Tom is trying to return and frame the former thief for murder. This film worked because the story felt so nicely contained; this was a minor federal investigation that escalates steadily as events press on making the conflict feel very personal in how it plays out. You actually get to spend a lot of time with all of the characters who make up this story in ways that matter, a lot of films push out a thriller like this and focus on constantly upping the stakes both visually and through an intensive story. This worked because Tom never evolved into some kind of an uber-action man, he was a competent thief with a history of explosives work from his time in the marines. The bad guys made mistakes that turned allies against them, you got to see the antagonists of the film develop into monsters or steadily develop doubts about the decisions they had made. I think the nature of how the film showcased what could've been a simple revenge plot but instead became a delivery of justice, love and the significance of doing what is right really made it something special. The cinematography for Honest Thief looks really great, often capturing these really dynamic character-intensive scenes with intimate shots and carefully framed sequences.

 

Jai Courtney, who played Agent Nivens, makes for an incredible antagonist throughout this feature; Courtney becomes a darker force as his greed steadily consumes him and he grows more reckless in his attempts to walk away with the money. Jeffrey Donovan, who played Agent Meyers, has a fun dry wit when first introduced that I came to enjoy; but the power of Donovan's performance is his intense reaction to Sam Baker's (Patrick) death and the coy way he investigates both sides of this conflict. Anthony Ramos, who played Agent Hall, had one of the most interesting character arcs of the feature; Ramos showed a very good cop turn corrupt under the influence of greed and then turned his role from antagonist to protagonist again by exploring the serious ethical doubts his character had. Robert Patrick, who played Agent Sam Baker, isn't in this film for long but certainly leaves a strong impression; Patrick's dry wit pairs really well alongside Donovan's and he plays a role with keen instincts around a developing crime scene.

 

However, the best performance came from Liam Neeson, who played Tom. Neeson is a veteran performer who has done a fantastic job of leading several memorable films in the past; so it comes as no surprise that his leading performance here is such a hit. Tom is a quietly resolute character, almost gentle in his manner when he's alone or with those he's close to. I think this contrasts really well with the steely determination he takes on when enacting a plan or going to confront an antagonist. The build from confusion, to upset, to just plain rage that he is being dishonourably betrayed by federal agents who are personally destroying his life is really gripping to watch. I like how Neeson approached Tom, he built up a man who was so angry at the injustices he saw being enacted upon vulnerable people that he did something wrong; but in finding someone to love he was able to change what he was doing because of that.

Honest Thief is undeniably a slow-paced thriller at the best of times, the biggest weakness of this well-crafted thriller is a serious pacing issue. The film takes its time to get where it's going, often allowing for a big break in the action to host several long scenes in which characters talk circles around each other for a spell. Most of the time this leads to some very engaging, character-driven scenes but there are also a number of unnecessary moments that didn't really need to make it into the film. This feature also pushes the realm of reason at times by limiting the number of agents who are going after Tom, or taking a long time for the rug to fall out from under the antagonists. The romance element of the film works really well for Tom character motivation but as a character Annie goes through some character development that is very quick and hard to really become convinced by. The editing for the film helps set the slower pace and has a very blocky way of cutting through scenes, even taking a bit long to cut away from some of the messier looking stunts. The score for this feature is pretty generic, having high intensity sound for chase or fight scenes but little else to offer beyond that.

 

Kate Walsh, who played Annie, really slingshots her character throughout this film; Walsh goes from being one of the most plain love interests I've ever seen in a thriller to a ride along action co-star that just never really fits well alongside Neeson.

Love And Monsters

 This review may contain spoilers!

This was a charming blockbuster that really defied expectations. I would give Love And Monsters a 7/10.

Love and monsters is a post-apocalyptic coming of age film in which heartsick Joel decides to leave the bunker he has been surviving in to be reunited with his former girlfriend from before the end of the world. The catch? He has to survive 80 miles of monster-infested terrain with little to no survival experience. This movie had every opportunity to be a corny mess, to make a feature that slogged a lead through a journey towards 'getting the girl'. But it's far more interesting than I could have ever expected. The main character, Joel, has picked up minor skills in his time underground but is by no means a survivor. He feels like he is unable to contribute to his community and yearns to belong; most notably he misses life before the Earth was overrun and so endeavours to reclaim his life by reuniting with his former girlfriend. Joel is really engaging as a lead because he has a strong sense of humour and he lends a lot of his inner thoughts to the audience via narration in the style of letters to his former girlfriend, Aimee. The journey Joel goes through sees him overcome paralysing fear, develop survival skills, recognise the community he has built around him at his home bunker and confront the grief he feels over the death of his parents. It's a very light-hearted take on the apocalypse and a character journey that I think is extremely worth watching. The cinematography is really well-constructed blockbuster, you feel constantly in motion with the main characters while expansive sets or locations are framed gorgeously. The cinema tography for the film errs on the generic side but it really has a way of lifting your spirits or placing you in the dangerous scenarios; while I felt the soundtrack was a fun blend of thematic choices.

 

Jessica Henwick, who played Aimee, is really charismatic both as O'Brien's former onscreen girlfriend and the leader of her colony; Henwick has this flinty edge to her that makes her believable as a strong leader and capable defender. Michael Rooker, who played Clyde, delivers strongly on the gruff and supremely apt survivor you would expect from him; but Rooker's ability to unveil a gentle and nurturing father figure in this film was something I felt gave this feature a lot of heart. Ariana Greenblatt, who played Minnow, is one of the best young performers up and coming at the moment; her ability to come across as utterly fearless while entirely endearing was a big source of charm for this feature.

However, the best performance came from Dylan O'Brien, who played Joel. This is a film that relies strongly upon its main protagonist and that position is in really safe hands with O'Brien. We knew that this particular performer can barrel through leading a high-octane action blockbuster without breaking a sweat, the Maze Runner trilogy being the best example of this. This film we get to see O'Brien take a cowardly, meek role to a place of confidence and determination. Watching Joel evolve as a person and learn to survive and make meaningful connections with others is a genuine strength for this film. I felt like the quick wit and humorous nature of O'Brien's delivery makes this role immediately quite charismatic. This film also has a significant amount of narration for a blockbuster and I felt O'Brien managed to give an aspect of the film, that could've otherwise grown dull, a really engaging performance.

 

Love And Monsters has a lot of heart but sometimes it feels like it's a story at war with itself. Within the film you get the basic story of boy loves girl, boy loses girl because of the apocalypse happening, boy goes to reunite with girl upon reconnecting. So it's not so surprising when the film starts going down pathways like Aimee rejecting Joel at first, or Joel sulking about this, the pair reuniting after Joel manages to save Aimee's colony in a macho heroic way. There's a lot of subversion from some of the classic Hollywood tropes but sometimes you feel like the story was roughshod rewritten to conceal a story that isn't so likeable underneath. There are moments where Joel becomes a whiny, self-centred protagonist and these don't really ring true with the rest of the film. The entire third act is a good example of the film struggling with itself, pulling between an old form of storytelling and a more modern one. The special effects for the feature aren't always the best, sometimes changing significantly between scenes and often littered with shots that allow the film-makers to cut around having to work in the visual effect for some scenes. 

Dan Ewing, who played Cap, was a pretty generic and disappointing antagonist for the third act of the film; Ewing played up to his role's betrayal - suddenly becoming quite merciless and harsh for the sake of villainy as opposed to being in line with his role. Melanie Zanetti, who voiced Mav1s, was this overl sweet artificial role that reall grated with the tone of the film; Zanetti's voice work pushed the limits of what I was willing to accept within the film and ultimately the inclusion of Mav1s seemed a little off-key.

Greenland

 

This review may contain spoilers! 

 

An unfortunate blend of generic disaster movies and a bad run for Gerard Butler film choices lately make this one of the more forgettable films of 2020. I would give Greenland a 4/10.

 

Greenland follows structural engineer, John Garrity, a man who is flagged for emergency evacuation to Greenland alongside his family after an extinction-level comet threatens to break up and collide with Earth's surface. The film is at its peak right in the second act, when civil order has begun to crumble and mass hysteria has set in as people begin to realise that they're being left to die by their government. At this point the film is enhanced by splitting up our protagonists and placing them in dire, desperate situations. The main characters are marked as 'selected/priority evacuees' who are unable to make it onto a plane to Greenland, yet they still carry the wristbands which indicate their priority status. John's solo story sees him beset upon by a mob of people who covet his band, leading him to have to fight for his life and accidentally kill a man in self-defense. In a similar parallel, Allison Garrity is dragged out from the vehicle she is being transported in and her son kidnapped in an effort for her assailants to achieve priority status. These moments are uniquely harrowing scenes that actually change the characters and really cast the severity of the disaster scenario in a grim light. The cinematography for this movie knew how to make full effect of big set pieces and moments of action, while also toying with freehand shots for those moments of characters going through personal hardship or despair.

 

Morena Baccarin, who played Allison Garrity, was a strong leading role alongside Butler; I liked how Baccarin played a very competent mother in such a brutal survival setting. Andrew Bachelor, who played Colin, was one of the standout performances of the film; Bachelor embodied a genuine longing for the good of how the world used to be and sparked some hope in Butler's leading role.

However, the best performance came from Gerard Butler, who played John Garrity. A lot of Butler's roles stem from him being the most capable fighter in the room, your quintessential action hero. What I liked so much about John Garrity is that he functions well as a recognisable person struggling through very grounded personal reasons when we are introduced to him. Watching Butler doing his best to navigate a marriage that is crumbling apart while nurturing the bond he has with his son makes for an engaging performance. As the film descends into chaos and society begins crumbling you see this role's measured response steadily decline as he grows panicked at his inability to control the safety of himself or his family. As Butler's role deals with separation and loss he begins to take on this hardset determination to survive and recover his family at all costs, crossing a line that resounds pretty heavily with the nature of his character. Butler is comfortable leading a film and shows why he has been a leading man for years once again in this role that is a little outside his usual wheelhouse.

Greenland felt like it had several interesting ideas at work but was unable to break out with a disaster story that we hadn't seen hundreds of times before. The formula for the plot was exceptionally predictable; ordinary turned upside down followed by a chaotic human element as everyone scrabbles to survive en masse with the rest of the feature having the disaster positioned as the source of antagonism. The film has a light cast of characters, which means we're expected to find a very vanilla family story engaging for almost the entire time. But these aren't characters with exceptional qualities or attributes, there's no sub-plot that makes them better to watch. Eventually the characters have exhausted their potential but the film still has a significant amount of time to go. The disaster element of the feature is also pretty light, you never watch a scene in which the comet debris really feels like a threat to the characters. There always seems to be enough time to overcome a problem that stems from the disaster, another reason why the human element of the film is more interesting. The film also decides to resurface old plot points at extremely bizarre times; the marital problems between John and Allison Garrity being discussed and analysed at the start of the third act was a choice that really felt offbeat. The editing for this film set such a slow pace, I don't think I've seen a disaster movie with such slow moving sequences in a while. The score for Greenland is pretty classic blockbuster fanfare, boosting big sounds and horns when the action dials up but barely setting a pulse otherwise.

Roger Dale Floyd, who played Nathan Garrity, is quite a meek performer who lacks presence in his scenes; the character of Nathan is set up more as an object of the plot than an interesting role. Scott Glenn, who played Dale, might have found one of his most boring roles yet; Glenn's gruff nature and blind ignorance about the doomsday situation they're in is hard to like. Gary Weeks, who played Ed Pruitt, is quite a background role as the face of the neighbourhood cast in act one; Weeks' never finds a moment where his character really gets to engage with the main roles in a way that felt significant. Hope Davis and David Denman, who played Judy Vento and Ralph Vento respectively, don't manage to get away from the stereotypical immoral antagonists in a disaster/apocalyptic film; these characters feel so bland until they are charged up into undergoing an immoral act which defines them from there on out.